Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug with the highest prevalence reported among 15- to 24-year-olds. This specific period of emerging adulthood constitutes a critical age for substance use and ... [more ▼]

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug with the highest prevalence reported among 15- to 24-year-olds. This specific period of emerging adulthood constitutes a critical age for substance use and for future consumption. Cannabis use patterns change during college or university and the post-college transition; users are at greater risk of adverse health outcomes (especially if they start or maintain a pattern of frequent use). Objectives The overall aim of this study was to highlight psychological and relational factors that might be associated with changes (including cessation and fluctuation) in cannabis use during this specific period, separately for males and females. Methods The subjects were 682 first-year college students (69.94% of female), aged between 18 and 25 years (M = 18.59 years, SD = 1.56). Four groups were formed according to cannabis consumption: “non-users” (54.64%), “desisting users” (14.04%), “fluctuating users” (16.23%), and “persistent users” (15.07%). A self-report questionnaire was administered to evaluate prevalence, frequency and trajectory of use, number of peer cannabis users, alcohol use, impulsivity, anxiety (trait and social) and depression. Results Females appear more sensitive to the romantic partner's consumption than males. For both sexes, having more friends who use cannabis appears to be a determinant. Depression and anxiety were not related to changes in cannabis use. Impulsivity is a significant factor for the maintenance of cannabis use in emerging adulthood, with higher lack of premeditation for males and higher sensation seeking for females among fluctuating and persistent users. Conclusions Results are discussed in terms of maintenance of use and the spiral of consumption, including clinical implications for prevention and interventions. [less ▲]

Theoretical background: Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug among teenagers. Initiation is influenced by environmental factors and personal characteristics, events or experiences. An early ... [more ▼]

Theoretical background: Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug among teenagers. Initiation is influenced by environmental factors and personal characteristics, events or experiences. An early initiation increases the risks of problems related to cannabis use (e.g. negative psychosocial effects, delinquent behaviors, mental disorders). Prevent initiation, through the identification of risk/protective factors and their interaction, seems crucial in terms of public health. Research question and significance: This study aimed to examine the progression of use, to identify protective and risk factors of cannabis initiation (including peers, alcohol, expectancies and internalizing factors) and to specifically focus on the influence of social anxiety and its moderators/mediators. Methods: A questionnaire was administered twice to 877 teenagers (49.94% female, M=15.61) with one year interval. Sex, age, demographic variables, peer cannabis use, cannabis-related variables (lifetime, frequency, problems and expectancies), alcohol use, social anxiety, trait-anxiety and depression were assessed through validated scales. Logistic regressions, mediation and moderation analyzes were performed. Results: During the follow-up period, 12.89% of the young participants initiated cannabis use. Several factors significantly predict initiation: alcohol use, peer users, perceptual enhancement and craving effect expectancies. Others factors significantly protect from initiation: negative behavioral effect expectancies and social anxiety. Gender, age, relaxation/social facilitation and cognitive impairment effect expectancies, trait-anxiety and depression do not significantly influence cannabis use initiation. In moderated mediation model, after controlling for relevant variables, social anxiety protected from initiation trough the mediating role of perceptual enhancement and craving effect expectancies. The number of peer users and alcohol use do not moderate this mediation. Negative behavioral effect expectancies do not significantly mediate the relation between social anxiety and cannabis initiation. Interpretation of findings: Through low positive expectancies, adolescents with social anxiety symptoms are less likely to initiate cannabis use than the others, whatever the number of peer users and the alcohol use. Findings are discussed in terms of risk and protective characteristics of relevant factors, in an overall and evolutionary approach including internalizing factors. Results support the identification of internalizing profile of adolescents concerned by prevention or treatment and the importance of social anxiety and expectancies in intervention. [less ▲]

Background: Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug among teenagers and depression is one of the most common psychopathologies in adolescence. The specific symptom of depressive mood is present in ... [more ▼]

Background: Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug among teenagers and depression is one of the most common psychopathologies in adolescence. The specific symptom of depressive mood is present in 30% to 40% of adolescents in regular school settings. Links between cannabis use and depression have been highlighted, especially in adolescence. But questions remain about the strength of the association between lifetime cannabis use, depressive mood and anxiety, and about the mechanism underpinning the link. Aim: The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between depressive mood and lifetime cannabis use in adolescents, particularly through the mediating role of anxiety and cannabis use effect expectancies, and the moderating role of peer cannabis use. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 1,246 Belgian teenagers aged 16–17 years. ANOVA, chi-square, logistic regressions and mediation/moderation analyses were carried out to model lifetime cannabis use. Results: Depressive mood was positively correlated with lifetime cannabis use. Social anxiety, trait-anxiety and cognitive impairment effect expectancies mediated the effect of depression on lifetime cannabis use. The direct effect of depression on lifetime cannabis use increased when mediators were introduced into the relation, revealing their suppressive effects. The number of peer cannabis users moderated this model. Conclusion: Findings are discussed in terms of potential risk factors (depressive mood) or protective factors (anxiety and expectancies) for lifetime cannabis use, including the self-medication hypothesis. [less ▲]

Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance among teenagers. Consumption is influenced by environmental factors and personal characteristics, events or experiences. High use can lead to ... [more ▼]

Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance among teenagers. Consumption is influenced by environmental factors and personal characteristics, events or experiences. High use can lead to substantial problems, especially after an early consumption. Detecting and preventing an increase of alcohol use among teenagers, through the identification of risk and protective factors, seems essential in terms of public health. This study aimed to examine the progression of use in young teenagers, to identify protective and risk factors of alcohol use (including peers and internalizing factors) and to specifically focus on the influence of social anxiety. A questionnaire was administered twice to 877 teenagers (49.94% female, M=15.61) with one year interval (T1 and T2). Sex, age, alcohol use, number of friends, social comparison, trait-anxiety, social anxiety and depression were assessed through validated scales. T-test for paired sample and hierarchical regressions were performed. During the follow-up year, the average alcohol use significantly increased. A positive social comparison at T1 significantly predicted alcohol use at T2. The more teenagers positively compared themselves to their friends and felt popular, the more they consume alcohol. A similar significant effect was demonstrated for depression. The more young people manifested depressive affects at T1, the more they used alcohol at T2. However, social anxiety significantly protected from this substance use. More social anxiety at T1 was associated with less alcohol consumption at T2. The number of friends and trait-anxiety at T1 did not significantly influence alcohol use at T2. A positive social comparison and depressive affects could be considered as risk factors, whereas social anxiety could be defined as protective factor. At this developmental period, young people suffering from social anxiety symptoms subsequently use less alcohol, maybe due to the lack of contact with this substance usually socially consumed, whereas more popular and integrated teenagers are more at risk. The present results challenge the tension-reduction model according to which alcohol is consumed to reduce anxious affects and to facilitate social relationships. However, results suggest that alcohol might be used to reduce unpleasant depressive affects. [less ▲]